As an adult, it can be stressful to learn you have a cavity. That feeling can be amplified when your child is found to have one. Children, especially younger children, may only have a hazy understanding of proper tooth care, and may be anxious about treatment for something like a cavity. This is why children’s dental visits emphasize oral health education, in addition to caring for your child’s teeth. Tooth decay is a problem that needs to be addressed, even if the tooth in question is temporary. A baby tooth may leave on its own, but a cavity can leave your child in pain, and threaten to spread bacteria beyond the tooth, causing more problems.
Prompt Treatment Matters
For children and adults alike, prompt restorative dental treatment means sparing more of your tooth from harm. A cavity steadily spreads, growing larger, and reaching deeper into the interior of your tooth. When your dentist has the chance to step in and eliminate it in its early stages, it may only have corrupted a small amount of your tooth’s enamel. A cavity at this size likely only needs a dental filling. A cavity that has more time to spread can call for a root canal, a more invasive treatment that involves accessing the center of the tooth.
Steps To Take To Reduce Your Child’s Cavity Risk
It is important to remember that children are still learning how to care for their teeth. Many young patients will have dental sealants placed on their teeth. This usually happens to protect the secondary (“adult” teeth), especially the back teeth that are harder to reach. Sealants essentially coat the teeth with a protective barrier that stops the accumulation of food debris and bacteria.
